Your ultimate business photo shoot guide

You may have noticed some great new photos being featured on my social pages. They’re from a recent photo shoot I did for my business; the second one I’ve done. While both shoots left me with some fantastic images, they each had a very different process. To save you making some of the same mistakes I made in my first shoot, I’d like to share with you some of the learnings I had and then implemented into my second business photo shoot (note: this is for a services based business, but similar tips apply for a product shoot- the key word = PLAN!).

Prepare a detailed brief – the more information, the better! Give your photographer a full branding brief, tell them how you’d like to use the photos from the shoot to look (including providing examples of socials/ shots that you like AND a Pinterest board for inspo) and provide all your socials, branding and colours. You’ve worked hard to create your branding so you have to keep it consistent.

Get the digitals – you’ll want at least 60 photos to use across social media, with 15 or so edited for your website and other promotions. To do this, you’ll need have access to the full digitals so make sure this is something you receive after the shoot and ensure that you have full rights to use the photos (or understand what rights you do have around licences, copyright etc).

Take an outfit change (or 5!) – given you want a whole bunch of gorgeous images to share; you won’t want them looking all the same! Take a heap of great clothes with a variety of different looks and colours. Confession: my first photo shoot saw me rock up with 1 x VERY distinctive top. I’m not kidding. I just didn’t even think. When I arrived and was asked about my outfit only to produce my one top. I was so grateful to my photographer for managing to hide her disappointment in me.

Consider the finer details – and yes, I am talking about appropriate underwear and ironing. Your friends may be forgiving of slips like this but the camera definitely isn’t! Again, so appreciative of my lovely photographer who LITERALLY took off her nude bra and went braless to avoid the glaringly obvious black bra peeping through my white top. I know. Just don’t.

Splurge on the hair and make-up – in fact, splurge on anything that’s going to make you look and feel confident. My fateful first shoot saw me waltz in with gorgeous locks, feeling fabulous. Until I realised that the images I’d hoped to capture in front of a stark white wall were not going to work with me blending in to the background, due to a lack of spray tan. You may think I’m being a bit silly here but the point is, I didn’t FEEL great.

Plan locations and looks – back to your branding. Think about who you are and what your image is and ensure you pre-plan a heap of shots to capture this. Scour Instagram and Pinterest accounts and have PLENTY of options for your photographer! For those of you with service businesses, you might like to try:

you with laptop

you with phone

you with pretend client

you with blank piece of paper

you off to one side – awesome idea for adding graphics later!

Pack some props – what may seem a bit naff or irrelevant in real life will come up great in photos! Trust me. Think hat, laptop, phone, and flowers- ask your creative friends or photographer for ideas (or a loan ;-)). And make sure all your props are in good condition. Just like with a crinkled top, the camera won’t be forgiving of a dinged-up phone or a hat which clashes with your colour palette.

Have fun! – some of my best photos, from both shoots, were of me laughing, dancing or basically acting like a fool! You may feel slightly awkward but I highly recommend leaving your inhibitions at the door. The more you can relax into it, the better those images will come up.

There you have it! 8 tips to ensure that your photo shoot is seamless and the results are amazing. The main thing is, do your prep and have a little fun. I’m sure you’ll love your new images!